---
title: Moving from Slack
---

import {Steps, TabItem, Tabs} from "@astrojs/starlight/components";

import FlattenedList from "../../components/FlattenedList.astro";
import FlattenedSteps from "../../components/FlattenedSteps.astro";
import ZulipTip from "../../components/ZulipTip.astro";
import CommunicationPoliciesIntro from "../include/_CommunicationPoliciesIntro.mdx";
import CommunicationPoliciesList from "../include/_CommunicationPoliciesList.mdx";
import ConfigureYourOrganization from "../include/_ConfigureYourOrganization.mdx";
import HowToInviteUsersToJoinImport from "../include/_HowToInviteUsersToJoinImport.mdx";
import HowToInviteUsersToJoinNoImport from "../include/_HowToInviteUsersToJoinNoImport.mdx";
import MovingToZulipIntro from "../include/_MovingToZulipIntro.mdx";
import PrepareForTransition1 from "../include/_PrepareForTransition1.mdx"
import PrepareForTransition2 from "../include/_PrepareForTransition2.mdx"
import SignUpForAPlan from "../include/_SignUpForAPlan.mdx";
import TopicsIntro from "../include/_TopicsIntro.mdx";

<MovingToZulipIntro />

If you're moving from other communication tools, check out the [general
guide on moving to Zulip](/help/moving-to-zulip).

The following steps are described in more detail below:

<Steps>
  1. [Import or create your organization](#import-or-create-your-organization).
  1. [Sign up for a plan](#sign-up-for-a-plan).
  1. [Configure your organization](#configure-your-organization).
  1. [Review and update communication
     policies](#review-and-update-communication-policies).
  1. [Prepare users for the transition](#prepare-users-for-the-transition).
  1. [Invite users to join](#invite-users-to-join).
</Steps>

Each organization is unique, but we hope these common practices will help you
think through the transition process in your own context.

## Import or create your organization

You can import your organization's Slack data, including message history, users,
channels, and custom emoji. Data is imported into Zulip as a new organization,
so the best time to import is when your team is about to start using Zulip for
day-to-day work. This may be part of your evaluation process, or after you've
made the decision to move to Zulip.

<Tabs>
  <TabItem label="Import from Slack">
    <Steps>
      1. If you plan to self-host, [set up your Zulip
         server](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/install.html). You
         can self-host Zulip directly on Ubuntu or Debian Linux, in
         [Docker](https://github.com/zulip/docker-zulip), or with prebuilt images for
         [Digital Ocean](https://marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/zulip) and
         [Render](https://render.com/docs/deploy-zulip).
      1. Follow the steps in the [Slack import guide](/help/import-from-slack).
    </Steps>
  </TabItem>

  <TabItem label="Create a new organization">
    <Steps>
      1. If you plan to self-host, [set up your Zulip
         server](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/install.html). You
         can self-host Zulip directly on Ubuntu or Debian Linux, in
         [Docker](https://github.com/zulip/docker-zulip), or with prebuilt images for
         [Digital Ocean](https://marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/zulip) and
         [Render](https://render.com/docs/deploy-zulip).
      1. Create a Zulip organization [on Zulip Cloud](https://zulip.com/new/) or
         [on your self-hosted
         server](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/install.html#step-3-create-a-zulip-organization-and-log-in).
         You can create a new Zulip Cloud organization in less than two minutes.
         Setting up a self-hosted server will take a bit longer, but is easy to
         do with Zulip's [robust
         installer](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/install.html).
    </Steps>
  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Sign up for a plan

<SignUpForAPlan />

## Configure your organization

<FlattenedSteps>
  <ConfigureYourOrganization />

  1. [Create channels](/help/create-channels) if you decided not to import your
     Slack workspace. Zulip's [topics](/help/introduction-to-topics) give each
     conversation its own space, so one channel per team should be enough to get
     you started.
  1. Move your integrations using Zulip's [Slack-compatible incoming
     webhook](/integrations/slack_incoming). You can transition to
     Zulip-native [integrations](/integrations) over time.
</FlattenedSteps>

## Review and update communication policies

<CommunicationPoliciesIntro />

<FlattenedList>
  <CommunicationPoliciesList />

  * Zulip makes it easy to find conversations and follow up. To avoid disrupting
    focus work, @-mentions in Zulip should generally be reserved for
    time-sensitive messages. [Silent
    mentions](/help/mention-a-user-or-group#silently-mention-a-user) make it easy
    to refer to someone without calling for their attention.
</FlattenedList>

## Prepare users for the transition

Prepare an introduction to Zulip for your organization. It often works well to
combine a written announcement with a live presentation. Recommended topics to
cover include:

<FlattenedSteps>
  <PrepareForTransition1 />

  1. Pointers to additional resources, such as Zulip's [getting started
     guide](/help/getting-started-with-zulip), and [the guide on how threading
     works in Zulip](/help/introduction-to-topics#what-about-threads) for folks
     who are used to Slack's threads.

  <PrepareForTransition2 />
</FlattenedSteps>

## Invite users to join

If you imported your organization from Slack, [decide how users will log
in](/help/import-from-slack#decide-how-users-will-log-in) for the first time.
Otherwise:

<Tabs>
  <HowToInviteUsersToJoinImport />

  <HowToInviteUsersToJoinNoImport />
</Tabs>

<ZulipTip>
  Remember to update links and login instructions to point to Zulip.
</ZulipTip>

Congratulations on making the move! If you have any questions or feedback
throughout this process, please [reach out](/help/contact-support) to the Zulip
team.

## Related articles

* [Import from Slack](/help/import-from-slack)
* [Slack-compatible incoming webhook](/integrations/slack_incoming)
* [Trying out Zulip](/help/trying-out-zulip)
* [Zulip Cloud or self-hosting?](/help/zulip-cloud-or-self-hosting)
* [Moving to Zulip](/help/moving-to-zulip)
* [Migrating from other chat tools](/help/migrating-from-other-chat-tools)
* [Getting started with Zulip](/help/getting-started-with-zulip)
